Dust-distributor for cigarette machine tobacco feeds



Sept. 6, 1932. J. w, LEARY 1,876,012

DUST DISTRIBUTOR FOR CIGARETTE MACHINE TOBACCO FEEDS Filed Sept. 18.1931 FIG. I

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I I v I V ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED Erie . ,JAMES W. LEARY,OF JBLOOIVIFIELD, NEW JERSEY, AS$IGNOR TO AMERICAN MACHINE I & FOUNDRYCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY DUST-DISTRIBUTOR FOR CIGARETTEMACHINE TOBACCO Application filed September 18, 1931. Serial No.563,631.

This invention relates to improvements in tobacco feeds for continuousrod cigarette machines, its main object being to provide means forpreventing tobacco from accumu- -lating on the walls of the hopper andof the delivery chute. With this and other objects not specificallymentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions andcombinations hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forthin the claims hereunto appended.

The picker roll at the upper end of the delivery chute of the tobaccofeed causes the fine dust contained in the tobacco to be separated andthrown against the surrounding walls of the feed chamber. Accordingly,the more space there is for this dust to collect, the greater is thetendency to form large lumps of dust which, when heavy enough, drop offand reach the cigarette rod, forming soft spots in the rod which impairits homogeneity. If the picker roller is surrounded by a comparativelyclose wall, the dust collects in the clearance space necessary for theoperation of the picker roller and in time forms a dense packing whichhas to be removed periodically. To prevent this harmful accumulation ofdust and yet retain an ample space between the picker roller and itsenclosing wall, the present invention con sists in providing adjacentthe surface of the picker roller a smooth-surfaced roller rotating inthe same direction as a picker roller so that its adjoining surfacemoves opposite to the surface of the picker roller and thus continuouslydistributes the dust thrown by the latter immediately upon its arrival,there by making the formation of dust lumps impossible. The dust thuskept in motion around the picker roller is collected in a slidablereceptacle provided for this purpose from which it is removed from timeto time.

The dust carried along by the tobacco into the delivery chute of thetobacco feed is prevented from collecting on the walls of the chute bymounting into the chute a revolving fan extending across the entirewidth of the chute, this fan keeping the air in the chute in continualmotion thereby precluding dustor tobacco deposits.

- the delivery in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of thisspecificati on and in which like characters of reference indicatethesame or i like parts; 1 i i i Fig. 1 is a'sectional side elevation ofthe delivery end of a cigarette machine tobacco feed, showing theimproved dust distributing means; and V v Fig. 2 is a sectionalfrontelevation .of the dust distributing roller and associated parts, on line2-2 of Fig. 1. 5 I

In carrying the invention into effect there I is provided acigarettemachine feed having a rotating picker roller delivering tobaccoto 1 chute, a dust distributing roller rotating in a position adjacentsaid picker roller to carry away the dust thrown upon it by the pickerroller, means on the front wall of the hopper of the cigarette machinefeed for scraping the dust from the distributing roller, and a removabledust receptacle for catching the dust scraped from the distributingroller. In the bestforms of construction contemplated, said meansinclude a felt seal engaging the distributing roller, and said chute ispreferably provided with a rotating fan to prevent the collection of'dust and tobacco on the walls thereof. These various means and partsmay be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims, forthe specific construction shown and described is only one of manypossible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, isnot to be restricted tothe particular device shown and described.

Referring to Fig. 1, the tobacco T from the carding'drums of the tobaccofeed is can terminating over the channel 18 in which travels the.cigarette wrapper strip P. The belt roller 11 and feed 'drum 18, aredriven from a gear 19. on drive shaft 20 which has a sprocket 21 drivenby a chain 22 from i the main drive of the tobacco feed. Gear 19- meshesvwith a gear 23 on shaft 14, and gear.

23 in turn meshes with a gear 24:. on shaft 12.

, turn meshing with a gear 23 on shaft 14.

The front wall 32 of the hopper partly surrounding the picker roller 15has a seal 33 of felt or other suitable material bearing against thesurface of distributing roller 28 to scrape the dust therefrom, thuskeeping all dust D liberated by the action of roller 15 confined withinthe space between roller 15 and wall 32, from which space it can onlyescape through a bottom opening adjacent .the wall 32. On rails 34,attached at the sides of the said bottom opening to side brackets :35mounted on the feed support frame 36 and carrying the wooden side walls37 of the feed chamber, is slidably suspended a receptacle 38 havinghandles 39 by which it can be removed so that the dust collected in thesame i may be disposed of'from time to time.

The tobacco T thrown downward by picker roller 15 is guided into chute17 by a bar 40, suspended across the tobacco feed chamber from the sidebrackets 35 and having concave surfaces fitting around feed belt roller11 and transfer roller 13, and slides on the inclined rear wall 41 ofchute 17 onto the paper strip P. WVithin the chute, a shaft 42 having apulley 43 driven at'high speed in the direction of the arrow shown, by abelt 44, carries a fan 45 extending across the entire width of thechute, this fan, besides agitating the air in the chute, imparting anadded traction effect to the moving tobacco and keeping the walls of thechute clear of dust and tobacco accumulations.

The dust distributing roller consists of a metal cylinder 28, Fig. 2,preferably made of brass tubing, attached by pins 46 to hubs 47 mountedon shaft 27.' The latter is supported in side brackets 35 and on itsprotruding end has the gear 29 held against a shoulder of shaft 27 by anut 48.

In View of the foregoing, further description of the operation of thedevice is deemed unnecessary and is omitted in the interest of brevity;

What is claimed is:

1. The combination withthe hopper of a cigarette machine feed, of arotating feed drum mounted in said hopper, a delivery chute arranged todeliver tobacco to the cigarette wrapper strip, a rotating picker rollerfor removing the tobacco from said feed drum and throwing it into saidchute, a rotating distributing roller disposed adjacent'said pickerroller to carry away the dust thrown on it by said picker roller, meanson the front wall of said hopper for scraping the dust from saiddistributing roller, and

a removable dust receptacle arranged to catch the dust scraped from saiddistributing roller. 2. The combination with the hopper of a cigarettemachine feed, of a rotating feed drum mounted in said hopper, a deliverychute arranged to deliver tobacco to the cigarette wrapper strip, arotating picker roller for removing the tobacco from said feed drum andthrowing it into said chute, a rotating distributing roller disposedadjacent said picker roller to carry away the dust thrown on it by saidpicker roller, means on the front Wall of said hopper for scrapingthe-dust from said distributing roller, and a removable dust receptaclearranged to catch the dust scraped from said distributing roller, saiddelivery chute having a rotating fan mounted therein for agitating theair-in said chute to keep its walls clear of dust and tobaccoaccumulations. p

3. The combination with the hopper of a cigarette machine feed, of arotating feed drum mounted in said hopper, a delivery chute arranged todeliver tobacco to the cigarette wrapper strip, a rotating picker rollerfor removing the tobacco from said feed drum and throwing it into saidchute, a rotating distributing roller disposed adjacent said pickerroller to carry away the dust thrown" on it by said picker roller, meanson the front wall of said hopper for scraping the dust from saiddistributing roller, and a removable I dust receptacle arranged to catchthe dust scraped from said distributing roller, said means including afelt seal bearing against the surface of said distribut-ing'roller;

4. The combination with the delivery chute 1 of a cigarette machinefeed, of a rotating fan f mounted in said chute to keep its walls cleanof dust and tobacco accumulations.

5. The combination with the hopper of a' cigarette machine feed, ofdevices for feeding tobacco from said hopper, a delivery chute arrangedto deliver tobaccoto the cigarette rod wrapper strip, arotating pickerroller for removlng tobacco from said feeding devices and throwing itinto-said chute, a casing partially en closing said picker roller hav-'ing a rotating dustdistributing roller in the path of dust thrown bysaid picker roller, and means for continuously removing the dust fromsaid roller.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES w; LEARY..

